Fundraising FoxLos Angeles · Seed–Series A · 5 people tracked
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Investment thesis
Starburst operates aerospace accelerator programs supporting startups across space, aviation, and defense. It leverages a network of over 60 corporate partners plus governments, academic institutes, research labs, investors, and incubators to help founders accelerate customer discovery, pilots, purchases, investments, and acquisitions. Programs blend traditional accelerator and MBA approaches with industry-specific knowledge, offering mentorship from industry leaders and subject-matter experts, market research, government resources navigation, networking events, speaking opportunities, marketing and PR support, and guidance on international expansion. Starburst positions itself around a 'second global space race,' where lowered barriers to entry and increased private capital create opportunity for deep tech aerospace ventures.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.
Team · 5 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 8 of 9 portfolio companiesDefense Tech ×5AI & Machine Learning ×4Robotics ×4Deep Tech ×2GovTech ×2Hardware ×2IoT ×2Space Tech ×2
HQs:United States×5Germany×1France×1
Portfolio companies · 9 tracked
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really likeBy year:2026 · 12025 · 12024 · 12022 · 14 dated
A space transportation and infrastructure services company providing launch capabilities and orbital logistics for satellites and cargo.
Advanced ManufacturingSpace TechSan Francisco, US
Mikhail Kokorich(President)inJohn Rood(Executive Officer)inRob Schwarz(Executive Officer)inLon Ensler(Executive Officer)inJoel Sercel(Founding CTO)inJoseph Oorebeek(Senior Staff R\u0026D Scientist)in
Co-investorsC3 VenturesCathexis VenturesEvolution VC PartnersJames Beshara FundNazcaOne Way Ventures+8 more
Alta Ares builds an AI stack for autonomous air defense and ISTAR, including counter-drone interceptor effectors, an ISR product suite, and mission management software designed for contested, GNSS-denied environments.
AI & Machine LearningDefense TechRoboticsParis, FR
Alain Henry(Founder)Hadrien Canter(Founder)Stanislas Walch(Founder)Théo Bondarec(Founder)
Co-investorsAir Street CapitalApeiron Venture CapitalCherry VenturesHarpoon VenturesKima VenturesOTB Ventures+5 more
Corenova Technologies builds Hive Defense, a security platform that combines self-learning swarm bots with blockchain to monitor and respond to real-time events across digital and physical infrastructure.
Crypto & Web3CybersecurityRoboticsSanta Monica, US
Peter Lee(Founder)inMichael Brenner(Founder)in
Palo Alto geospatial analytics company applying AI and computer vision to satellite, aerial and mobile location data; acquired by Privateer in 2024.
James Crawford(Founder)inKevin O'Brien(CEO)in
Co-investorsAnsa CapitalBloomberg BetaBrighter CapitalCommunity Access FundGen CapitalGeodesic Capital+14 more
Outpost is an advisory and operations team of space-industry veterans that helps space companies grow from concept through scale-up, acquisition, and IPO.
Deep TechSpace TechSanta Monica, US
Jason Dunn(Founder & CEO)inCraig Cummings(Director)Aaron Kemmer(Director)Michael Vergalla(Executive Officer)Amir Blachman(President & COO)in
Co-investorsAIR CapitalCrosscourt VenturesDraper AssociatesFJ LabsHAWKTAILIA Seed Ventures+11 more
Picogrid provides software and edge computing networks to integrate heterogeneous sensors, drones, and autonomous systems for real-time command and control across defense and wildfire detection applications.
AI & Machine LearningDefense TechGovTechIoTRoboticsEl Segundo, US
Zane Mountcastle(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inMartin Slosarik(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)in
BoardDavid Cowan(Director)in
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesBasecamp FundBessemer Venture PartnersInitialized CapitalWashington Harbour PartnersCredo Ventures+1 more
SeRo provides airspace surveillance and GNSS performance monitoring through ground receiver networks and analytics platforms.
Deep TechDefense TechGovTechHardwareIoTFrankfurt, DE
Matthias Schäfer(Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer)inMarkus Fuchs(Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer)in
Sightec develops visual autonomy software for unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) that enables reliable navigation and situational awareness in GPS-denied, urban, and contested environments using computer vision technology.
AI & Machine LearningDefense TechRobotics
Co-investorsPlayfair Capital
WhiteFox Defense develops AI-driven solutions for defense innovation and aerospace applications.
AI & Machine LearningDefense TechHardware
STEVE HARO(President & Chief Executive Officer)L.R. FOX(Founder & Chairman)
Co-investorsFrontier Venture CapitalMoore Venture PartnersSaas Ventures, L.L.C.Serra Ventures
Exits · 2
1 IPOs · 1 acquisitions · showing 1MomentusNASDAQ: MNTS
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesAlta Ares · finsmes.com · Jun 10, 2026
Picogrid · citybiz.co · Jun 5, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Starburst Ventures made?
- Starburst Ventures has 9 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Starburst Ventures invest at?
- Starburst Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Starburst Ventures focus on?
- Starburst Ventures focuses on Climate Tech, Deep Tech, Defense Tech, Hardware, Mobility & Transportation, Space Tech.
- Where is Starburst Ventures located?
- Starburst Ventures is headquartered in Los Angeles.
- Who does Starburst Ventures co-invest with?
- Starburst Ventures most often shares deals with Evolution VC Partners, Moore Venture Partners, One Way Ventures, among 11 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamFrancois Chopard, CEO, Starburst Ventures at Global Aerospace Summit | Francois Chopard, Chief Executive Officer, Starburst Ventures discusses how the space-startup culture continues to go from strength to strength, with... | By Global Space CongressFacebook
Francois Chopard · facebook.com
InnoVet – From the Battlefield to Startup
Starburst
IAI CATALYST Accelerator Program Informational Webinar
Starburst
SATE Accelerator Cohort 1 Demo Day
Starburst
Webinar: IAI CATALYST Cohort 2 'Ask Me Anything' #2
Starburst
Accelerating innovation in aeronautics - Panel Discussion during Eurosatory 2024 [FRENCH]
Starburst
Images
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